As early as 1867 the Baptists of Nebraska, in the first meeting of the state Con- vention, passed resolutions favoring a school of higher learning. But more than a score of years passed before a college was started in Grand Island. The city donated for these purposes property including two brick buildings and twelve to fifteen acres of land, valued ab about $60,000. The school opened in October, 1892, as an acadamy with Prof. A.M. Wilson acting as president. The enrollment of pupils was fifty during that year. The year closed in douby and discouragement.

In 1893 Dr. George Sutherland, then of Ottawa University, Kansas, was elected president and at once took charge of the work. As president, almost founder, he has rendered a service beyond estimate during eighteen years presidency. The academy was changed to a College, indebtedness was met, a faculty was secured, and the College opened with forty students, with a score or more entering during the year. This was an encouraging and heroic beginning. But 1894 brought another year of trial, the year of the great drough. By patience and persistance the president with the assistance of the Baptist pastor, Dr. E.F. Jorden, brought the institution through the financial crisis and gave it permancy; Dr. E.F. Jorden's efficient work was entirely gratuitous. The first class to graduate was in 1895 and consisted of but one person, Mrs. Grace Bentley Paine.

The administration was fortunate, about this time, in securing Dr. A.S. Merrifield as financial secretary, who during eleven years of service, raised over $100,000 for the school, securing large donations form eastern capitalists. The city of Grand Island has been most willing with generous donations, and its financial help has gone far in making the work succussful.

The college at present has five buildings: the administration building, a three- story brick building with twenty-seven rooms; Hibbs Hall, the girls dormitory, with rooms for 100 girls, the gift of John A. Hibbs fo Omaha; Grand Island Hall, boys dormitory; these buildings have hot and cold water, electric lights, and mocern conveniences; the power house; and the gymnasium, built largely by the enterprise of the students and Alumni.

The college has an excellent library of 10,000 volumes, now located in the rooms of the administration building. The faculty has usually numbered from twelve to four- teen during the past twenty years. More than twenty-five hundred students have enrolled in its history. In the hall of the main building is hanging a service flag showing seventy-nine stars, four of which are in gold; a mute but eloquent witness to the part that the students have had in the world war.

In scholarship the institution has taken a high rank. The first year the Rhodes scholarships were offered this was the only college or university in the state that successfully passed all its candidates for the examination. Many of its students have won master's and doctor's degrees in the University of Chicago. Its orators have five times taken first place in state oratorical contests. The Alumni and former students, found in almost all professions and occupations, are the greatst argument to prove the value of the institution. Scattered in all parts of the state and in many other states they forcibly testify to the contribution the college has made to public welfare.

After a year, in which the college closed for the purposes of reorganizing its affairs generally, the plans have been laid for reopening in 1919 on a larger scale than ever. The prospects for the future can best be outlined by presenting here a review of the situation, published recently in the INDEPENDENT:

Mr. York, the state secretary, reported that $165,000 has already been raised in the financial campaign which is just closing and that the total will probably go to $175,000. In view of the success of this effort the trustees voted to proceed at once with the selection of a standard faculty and with other plans which had been worked out for the standardizing of the school. Dean T. Belknap of Franklin college has been chosen president of the institution.

President Belknap was born in Framingham, Mass., February 8, 1872. He graduated from the Framingham High School and in 1893 from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, with the degree of A.D. Three lears later he received his Master Degree from the same institution. He is also a graduate of Newton Theological Institution, Newton Centre, Mass., and holds the degree of S.T.B. and he has been a graduate student of History in Harvard University.

Mr. Belknap is a minister of the Baptist denomination, having been ordained at Sanford, Maine, February 26, 1897, and served on the active pastorate for a period of nine years. First at Stanford, Maine, then at Andover, Massachusetts, and last at the Jefferson Street Baptist Church, Providence, Rhode Island. This experience gave him an intimate knowledge of denominational organizations and work and makes it possible for him to articulate readily the work of the college with the denominational needs.

In 1907 he was called to the professorship of English and expression in Franklin Collent at Franklin, Indiana. He has erved continuously in this position until the present time.

His popularity with the students was such that when the daily papers announced that he was considering the presidency of Grand Island College a petition was presented to the Board of Trustees of Franklin College requesting that they do every thing in their power to retain the services of Dean Belknap at Franklin.

When he took the train at Franklin for Grand Island students and faculty escorted him in a body to the station thus expressing their deep affection for him.

His standing with the business men of Franklin was equally high.

After the selection of the president the Board considerd applications for various other positions on the college faculty. Under the new plan the academy will consist of the eleventh and twelfth grades of high school work and will be operated separtely fom the College proper with a separate corps of instructors.

The college faculty will consist of nine members in addition to the President.

The Conservatory will be as thoroughly reorganized as the College has been. Commodious headquarters will be provided for the Conservatory at the college building. The present quarters in the Glover building will be retained as an annex for the convenience of the local constituency. The new conservatory faculty will consist of four departmenal heads viz., voice, piano, violin and expression and several assistants.

After very lengthy and careful consideration of all factors involved the Board of trustees came unanimously to the conclusion that it is financially impracticable and educaionally unwise to operate a commercial department of business college and better determined that it shall not hereafter be a part of the college work or function.

On the other hand the work of the normal department will be greatly strengthened. Courses similar to and of equal rank with the State Normal schools will be thoroughly given under the best teachers.

VINTAGE POSTCARD OF GRAND ISLAND COLLEGE